Morpholio Trace and Shapr3D simplify 3-D sketching and animations

Morpholio Trace, the CAD sketching app, has collaborated with Shapr3D, a modeling application, to roll out a new feature for its iOS 12 update, which Morpholio Trace has dubbed “Drag’n’Fly.” Anna Kenoff co-founded Morpholio Trace in 2011 as a 2-D sketching platform for the creation of floor plans, elevations, sections, and any quick architectural drawing.  Over the years, the

This O-Wind Turbine could bring wind harvesting to urban settings

Harvesting wind energy within urban environments remains a frustrating task. Wind tunnels created by increasingly prevalent tall buildings throw air currents in multi-directional gusts, rendering most conventional turbines relatively useless as they can only capture wind flows moving in a single direction. In pursuit of establishing an efficient tool for harvesting wind energy within cities,

Walmart is using virtual reality to train employees

Virtual Reality (VR) technology is being applied to a broad range of applications, from architectural rendering to medical training. Now, retail giant Walmart is introducing the use of Oculus GO headsets to upgrade training at outlets across the country. Walmart plans to ship four of the headsets to every Walmart Supercenter, and two headsets to

UNStudio unveils flexible hyperloop hub designs for Europe

UNStudio recently unveiled plans for a series of flexible and modular “Stations of the Future” that would service a massive hyperloop railway network throughout Europe. The Dutch architecture firm, founded by Ben van Berkel, proposed a concept station made from “tessellating” modules that can flex, adapt, and expand to fit into various locations, such as a crowded city center, the

A New Way to Be Attached to Our Devices: Emotional AI

FutureVision is R/GA’s trend-spotting division. FutureVision helps keep you connected with the latest information, making it easy for you to stay informed. Many of us have an unhealthy relationship with our digital devices, and repeated behaviors such as checking email or our Instagram accounts for Likes can become addictive. So much so that there’s practically a

This British mosque is structured with parametrically designed wood

In Cambridge, England, Marks Barfield Architects (MBA) is erecting a timber-structured mosque inspired by geometric design and landscaping found throughout the Islamic world. The Cambridge Mosque Project, founded by Dr. Timothy Winter in 2008, purchased the one-acre site in 2009. Allées of cypress and linden trees ring the mosque, which occupies a symmetrical 27-feet-by-27-feet grid. The

Kilograph gains recognition for VR-based architectural rendering

On August 28, creative visualization studio Kilograph was recognized by CGarchitect’s 2018 Architectural 3D Awards Competition for its Suspension House project. Suspension House is a collaboration with San Francisco-based architectural practice Fougeron Architecture. Kilograph was initially commissioned by the firm for marketing illustrations but made the case that a virtual experience would allow the client

Vectorworks 2019 features a host of new upgrades and tools

The proliferation of Building Information Modeling (BIM) has allowed AEC firms to continually alter project designs; subtracting, adding and finessing details until the ideal model is formed. While the use of BIM allows for the visualization of numerous design options, managing and presenting the significant quantity of models and data produced by this method presents

Self-driving homes could be the future of affordable housing

The convergence of new technologies including artificial intelligence, the internet of things, electric cars, and drone delivery systems suggests an unlikely solution to the growing housing crisis. In the next few years, we may use an app on our smartphones to notify our houses to pick us up or drop us off. Honda recently announced the IeMobi

Wattpad’s Crowdsourced Authorship Is Getting Attention

FutureVision is R/GA’s trend-spotting division. FutureVision helps keep you connected with the latest information, making it easy for you to stay informed. Sometimes referred to as the “YouTube for stories,” Wattpad, the 10-year-old Toronto-based digital-literature social-networking app for amateur writers, has helped authors snag book deals with major publishers. One author, Anna Todd, got a combined seven

SAM, the bricklaying robot, is hard at work in Nevada

Across the country, contractors are facing the challenge of incredible construction demand tapered by a dearth of skilled workers to carry out projects. According to a survey by the National Association of Home Builders, approximately two-thirds of bricklaying contractors are having trouble finding workers. The AEC industry, in response to this mismatch between expectations and

Waymo faces tech hurdles as self-driving taxi deadline looms

As the technology propelling autonomous vehicles lurches forward, car companies have been struggling to make the leap between fundamental research and a marketable product. After an Uber test car struck and killed a woman in March of this year, the ride-sharing company abruptly shut down their self-driving program in Arizona. Now Waymo, the Alphabet-owned self-driving car company that had pledged it would launch a fleet

Responsive Virtual Reality Has Promising Marketing Implications

FutureVision is R/GA’s trend-spotting division. FutureVision helps keep you connected with the latest information, making it easy for you to stay informed. This cute and simple interactive narrative is underpinned by complex technology. Described by Google as a “mobile movie theater,” Spotlight Stories combines 3D and 2D animation with 360-degree spherical video. The app also uses